VOLQUEZ LIKES CINCY FANS, BUT NOT GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK

MIAMI 
Yonder Alonso proved over the weekend that homecomings can be fun.

And then there are those homecomings you have to attend.

“Sometimes going back is not your choice,” Padres pitcher Edinson Volquez said Sunday as he prepared for tonight’s start at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

“Sometimes you have to go because the schedule takes you there.”

Don’t get Volquez wrong.

“I am looking forward to seeing the fans again, to see if they still love me,” said Volquez. “Cincinnati was my home for four years. The Reds gave me the chance to play in the major leagues. I was happy there. The fans were good to me.”

But as for Great American Ball Park ...

“It is small and the ball carries, not a good combination for a pitcher,” said Volquez, who had a 14-9 record with 4.38 earned run average in 35 starts at Great American.

“When I was there, I didn’t think much about pitching at Great American,” said Volquez. “Everyone likes to pitch at home. But I would look last year at Aaron Harang’s results at Petco Park and think about it. I love Petco Park. I’ve never heard a pitcher say, ‘I don’t like pitching at Petco.’ Ask other pitchers about Great American.”

Volquez, Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal and relief pitcher Brad Boxberger all came to the Padres last Dec. 17 in the trade that sent right-handed starter Mat Latos to the Reds.

Latos is not scheduled to face the Padres in the four-game series. But all four players the Padres received could see action in the series.

Thatcher to disabled list

Boxberger will be in Cincinnati because the Padres recalled the 24-year-old right-hander from Triple-A Tucson Sunday night to replace left-hander Joe Thatcher in the bullpen.

The tendinitis in Thatcher’s right (landing) knee is forcing him to the 15-day disabled list.

“I’ve battled tendinitis in that knee throughout my career,” said Thatcher, who puts tremendous torque on his right knee the way he throws sidearm across his body.

“But this time I felt a pretty sharp pain last Monday in San Francisco and my fastball came out at about 82 (mph). It feels better now and it’s not swollen. But I’m probably 10 days away from being 100 percent.”

This will be Boxberger’s second tour with the Padres. He allowed one run on four hits and seven walks over 6 1/3 innings in five appearances from June 10-26. He is 2-3 with five saves in seven opportunities and a 3.03 ERA in 34 appearances with Tucson.

Notable

• In addition to his offense, Alonso made one of his best defensive plays Sunday — making a diving stop toward the line in the first to keep a Jose Reyes drive from reaching the corner for extra bases, then flipping from the prone position to Clayton Richard covering first for the out.

• Richard set a career-high with his sixth RBI of the season with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly Sunday. It was the 16th RBI by a Padres pitcher this season.

• After winning nine straight games against the Marlins in South Florida dating back to April 26, 2010, the Padres lost the last two games of the series to drop a second straight series on this 10-game road trip.

• Mark Kotsay gave the Padres a 1-0 lead with a third-inning double. Seven of his eight RBI this season have given the Padres the lead.